Atiku Abubakar’s Special Assistant on Public Communication Phrank Shaibu has lambasted President Bola Tinubu for junketing around the globe with tax payers’ money while asking Nigerians to make sacrifices.
Shaibu took to his X handle to scold Tinubu for “abandoning “ his duty post amidst a downturn of the economy, noting that “the Federal Government is not a travel agency.”
He was responding to a tweet by the President’s Media Aide Bayo Onanuga, who while defending his principal’s casual trip to France from his official holiday destination in the United Kingdom, saying his principal can go anywhere to enjoy his vacation.
The handlers of President Tinubu had recently announced that he went to the United Kingdom on a two-week vacation, from where he then moved over France, to the chargrin of many Nigerians suffocating in the economic turmoil his policies created.
But Onanuga, in a press statement said that the President should not be disturbed from enjoying his “private time.”
He said, “President Tinubu is on leave for two weeks. He is not restricted to the UK. It is his private time. He can go to anywhere he so desires. He is still observing his leave”.
In response, Shaibu described Onanuga’s comments as insensitive in the light of the present economic situation in the county.
“Onanuga Needs Help”, said Shaibu,
He said Onanuga telling Nigerians that his principal can “go anywhere” reeks of indifference, as if the citizens’ are nothing but some inconsequential afterthought.
“Nigerians deserve leadership that matches the gravity of the challenges they face, not one that treats the presidency like a travel agency.” Shaibu said,
He added, “The president is on vacation and can jet off to wherever his heart desires, because apparently, leadership is like a Netflix subscription – you can pause it whenever you please.
“While Nigerians grapple with fuel price hikes, inflation, insecurity, and a crumbling economy, we’re told not to worry because, well, it’s his private time…this Onanuga of a ‘boy’ needs help”.
“It’s funny how the same office that demands sacrifices from citizens – tightening belts, paying more taxes, enduring hardships – suddenly becomes a playground of personal indulgence at the top.
“Public office isn’t a personal getaway; it’s a duty that requires being accountable 24/7, even on leave”.
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